Hulu

Last modified: February 14, 2019

By Stephen Lovely

Hulu is one of the streaming world's longest-tenured services. For years, Hulu carved out a niche for itself by offering the latest episodes of TV shows – even as the seasons were still airing on pay TV services. Hulu has also boosted its content selection with original series. And, in 2017, Hulu entered the next stage of its evolution by launching a live TV “skinny bundle” service called Hulu with Live TV. So what does all of this mean? What is Hulu, really?

Hulu is a subscription service, but it's up to you whether you want to subscribe to just on-demand content or live TV. If you opt for live TV, you'll get live access to familiar network channels without having to pay for cable. And no matter which service you choose, you'll get access to Hulu's impressive on-demand library. Let's get to know Hulu!

What Shows and Movies Are On Hulu? What Channels Are on Hulu with Live TV?

Hulu offers two different types of subscriptions. The first is a Netflix-like on-demand subscription, which allows you to watch anything in Hulu's large library whenever you'd like. Your options include tons of TV shows and movies. Among them are some of Hulu's popular original series.

TV Shows

Casual

Difficult People

11.22.63

The Handmaid's Tale

Seinfeld

Rick and Morty

Movies

American Psycho

Arrival

Fences

I, Tonya

Mother!

Then there is Hulu's other service: Hulu with Live TV. Hulu with Live TV is a skinny bundle service, which means it offers a streamlined bundle of live network television channels over the internet. Hulu with Live TV has an impressive channel selection. Hulu with Live TV also includes all of the on-demand content from regular old Hulu. Plus, you can add premium channels like HBO for a bit of extra cash.

Hulu with Live TV's channel list includes skinny bundle standards like AMC and ESPN. It also offers all four major networks, including live local streams of those channels in select markets. Here are some of the highlights:

ABC

AMC

CBS

ESPN

Fox

NBC

TBS

What Devices Can I Use to Watch Hulu?

Hulu has been around for quite a while, and it has used its time on the market wisely. Hulu has built up an impressive selection of devices that you can use to watch its on-demand and live content.

Android TV devices like the Nvidia Shield work great with Hulu's on-demand service – but, as of this writing, don't support Hulu with Live TV.

Since Hulu's live TV streaming service is newer than its on-demand service, some platforms support just the on-demand service right now. We've noted those with parentheticals on our list below.

Streaming platforms and devices

Android TV (on-demand only)

Apple TV

Chromecast

Fire TV

Roku

Mobile devices

Android

iOS (iPhones and iPads)

Fire (Amazon Fire phones and tablets)

Video game consoles

Nintendo Switch

PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4 (on-demand only)

Xbox 360 and Xbox One

Wii U (on-demand only)

Other

Echo Show

In-browser app (for PC, Mac, and other computers)

Select smart TVs

TiVo (on-demand only)

How Much Does Hulu Cost?

Hulu offers a few different service options. As we discussed earlier, you can choose between Hulu's subscription video on demand (SVOD) service or Hulu's live TV service. The latter service, called Hulu with Live TV, includes the former.

Hulu also offers select add-on subscriptions. Here's the lowdown on how much Hulu costs.

A basic Hulu SVOD subscription costs $7.99 per month.

You can eliminate ads from your on-demand content for an additional $4 per month.

Hulu's skinny bundle service, Hulu with Live TV, costs $39.99 per month. Hulu's on-demand content is bundled into the live TV service, and you can add that no-commercials add-on to this plan, too.

You can unlock a better cloud DVR for your live TV content for an extra $14.99 per month.

You can stream on an unlimited number of screens simultaneously if you pay an extra $14.99 per month.

You can also add premium networks to Hulu with Live TV. Adding HBO costs $14.99 per month. Adding Cinemax costs $9.99 per month. Adding Showtime costs $10.99 per month.

Deals on Hulu

Hulu offers pretty low prices for its service, but you can pay even less by starting things off with a free trial offer. A week is a nice long time to check out Hulu's content without having to pay! More on that in just a moment.

But first, let's talk about sales and special offers. Discount offers for Hulu aren't common, but they do pop up once in a while. We'll keep an eye out for you here on Cordcutting.com, so check out our home page or search for “Hulu” in our search bar to see if we're covering any deals right now.

Getting a Hulu Free Trial

Hulu's free trial is available to new customers. You can sign up for it here. Just make a new account and sign up for Hulu or for Hulu with Live TV. Either way, you'll get a free week of content from your new streaming service. Cancel at any time during the free trial period to end your subscription without paying a dime.

Hulu Contracts

If you're used to cable or satellite, you're going to be very impressed by just how chill Hulu is about contracts. Unlike the legacy pay TV companies (and like its streaming-company peers), Hulu doesn't believe in the whole “long-term contract” thing.

When you sign up for Hulu, your subscription will renew monthly. You can cancel whenever you want, and your subscription will end at the end of whatever month you paid for most recently. This is true whether you're subscribed to regular old Hulu or to the Hulu with Live TV skinny bundle service.

How to Cancel Hulu

Canceling Hulu isn't tough. Just log into your account on your browser and hover your cursor over your account name in the top-right corner of the page. Click on “Account” on the drop-down menu that appears.

On your account page, you'll see what your next charge will be and when you last paid. In the bottom-right corner of this page, you'll see an option to “Cancel your subscription.” Just click the “CANCEL” button next to that to tell Hulu you want out. After begging you to stay a few times, Hulu will let you eliminate your subscription.

Keep in mind that your subscription will end at the end of your next billing period. You can see when that is by using the information about your last and next payments on your Account page. If you cancel right after you pay for the next month, for instance, you won't get your money back but your subscription will run through the end of that month.

All About Hulu

Hulu is one of the most interesting services in the streaming world right now, so it's no surprised that we've spilled plenty of digital ink discussion its merits and its various streaming strategies. From live TV to on-demand content, we cover it all here at Cordcutting.com. Check out our past Hulu coverage by clicking the links in this article or by simply typing “Hulu” into our search bar. And stay tuned to our home page for the latest tips, deals, and more.